Egg tray



W. H. BIHN April 29, 1924.

EGG TRAY Filed July 6, 1922 filler-nbrV Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

WILLIAM H. BIHN, v0F PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA.

EGG- TRAY.

Application led July 6,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM I-I. BIHN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Petaluma, in the county of ySonoma and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Egg Trays; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description 'of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention has reference generally to incubators and more particularly relatesy to an improved egg tray'therefor.

It is the principal aim and object of this invention to provide a tray'of'the above character for use in connection with an 1ncubator such as disclosed in my Patent Number 1,422,250, with a view particularly toward increasing the capacity of the incubator over that accomplished by the regular tray thereof. l

As an additional and equally important object, the invention embraces the provision of a tray of improved construction wherein traying of the eggs is facilitated in that they may be placed thereiny when the' tray is resting on a table or other support, and, as means is provided for each separate egg, the danger of the eggs toppling over is eliminated and in making tests any infertile egg may be removed without disturbing the remaining eggs.

More particularly this invention consists in the provision of an egg tray consisting of a perforate bottom and side and end walls, both of novel construction and shaped to support the bottom while the end walls also form supporting legs for maintaining the bottom in spaced relation to a support and in addition, are designed to accommodate the reinforcing rods which act to retain the side walls and bottom together.

Among the other aims and objects of the invention may be recited the provision of a device of the above mentioned character with a view to compactness and wherein the number of parts are few, the construction simple, the cost of production low and the eciency high.

Further objects as well as the nature,

characteristic features and scope of this invention will be more readily apparent from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawings 1922. Serial No. 573,087.

and lpointed outy in the claims forming a part of this specification.

The invent-ion is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the iin-f proved tray;

Figure 2 is a perspective thereof; Figure 8 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 1s a fragmentary longitudinali section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Similar characters of reference ,are einployed in all of the above described views to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring `now more particularly to thegv drawings, there is provided the improved tray including a bottom 1 preferably formed from sheet metal, being a rectangular blank thereof and having its area provided with openings 2 of such size to receive and sup-f portan egg and being preferably square. in outline. It is also .preferred that the openings be arranged in rows parallel transversely and Zig-zag longitudinally, as shown to advantage in Figure 1. 'Ihe outer side" and end portions of the bottom are bent outwardly and downwardly to formiianges y3, arranged at right angles to the under surface of the bottom for a purpose to ap pear.

Side walls 4 are now provided and like the bottom are preferably formed of sheet metal. In order to support the bottom in spaced relation to a main support (not shown) and at the same time allow for the proper reception of eggs in the openings 2, the lower portions of the side walls are folded upwardly and inwardly in slightly spaced relation to the main portions as at 5, to form supporting legs 6 and ledges 7 upon which rests the bottom, while the flanges 3 of the latter are accommodated in the spaces 5 and actV to retain the bottom againstthe side walls.

VEnd walls 8 are now employed being also desirably formed of sheet metal, and provided with attaching flanges 9 at their outer ends arranged to embrace the outer faces 0f the adjacent end portions of the side walls free edges of the lflanges rest on the bendv 12 to further increase the rigidity. If desired, solder 15 may be used to rigidly holdV the ledge portions to the bottom.

With a view toward providing improved means for reinforcing.v the bottom 'andV for locking the side walls'and bottom together,

-a series of rodsl are employed and are 1nserted through aligning openings 17V. and recesses 13 respectivelyin the main portions of the side walls, the side flanges 3, and in the ledge portions of the side walls, as shown in Figure 3. v c

AIt is believed in View of the foregoing description that afurther detailed description of the inventionv is entirely unnecessary. Iiikewiseit is believed that the advantages of the invention will bev readily apparent.

I claim: V f

1. Atray of vthe character described including a perforate egg receiving and supporting bottom, side walls Vconnected with the bottom and forming legs to support the bottom, end walls secured to the side walls, and means passing through `the sidewalls and bottomV for securing vthe parts 'together Vand also serving to reinforce the bottom.

'2. A tray of the4 character described inf cluding a Vperforated egg receiving and supporting'bottom, flanges depending from the edges of the bottom, side and end walls connected to each other, means on the inner faces of the wallsY for accommodating and Vretainingthe flangesrso as to support the bottom, the side walls acting as supporting legs, and common means extending through the side walls and flanges for locking the same together and for reinforcing the bot tom.

3. 'A tray including side and end walls connected with eachother, the upper edges of the end walls aligning with the upper edgesV of the side walls and having their lower edges terminating short of the lower edges of the side walls, an egg receiving and 'supporting bottom, cooperative means on the nected to each other and having their lowerk portions bent inwardly and upwardly in slightly spaced relation tothe Ymain portions thereof and terminating in ledges for sup porting the bottom, the flanges on the bottom being engaged in the spaces provided between the ledges and the main portions of the walls, the lower folded portions of the side walls constitutingsupporting legs,`

means for locking the side walls to the flanges consisting of rods extending transversely through the side walls and flanges and transversely beneath the bottom and contacting with the bottom for reinforcing purposes.

In witness whereof I4 have hereunto set my hand. f Y

p WILLIAM BIHN.

TIS 

